Brick-cleaning machine



I. COLLINS AND M. L. ASKEW.

BRICK CLEANING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22. I920. 1,355,035.

5, 1920. SHEET l.

Patented Oct.

2 SH E ET$ elk T715 $215!}. 431%!) away/44 J. UULLINS AND M. L. ASKEW.

BRICK CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLlCATiON FILED JUNE 22. 1-920.

Patented Oct. 5, 19206 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2:

JOSEPH COLLINS AND MARKUS L. ASKEVJ, OF I-IOPEV IELL, VIRGINIA.

BRICK-CLEANING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1920.

Application filed June 22, 1920. Serial No. 390,857.

To all whom 2'1 may concern Be it known that we, JosnPH UoLLINs and MARKUS L. Askew, citizens of the United States, residing at Hopewell, Prince George county, in the State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful- Improvements in Brick-Cleaning Machines, of which the following is a specification.

At the present time there is an acute shortage in the manufacture of brick, therefore it is necessary to clean used brick in order that they may be used again and it is the almost universal custom to employ unskilled labor for the purpose of cleaning brick but even this is costly inasmuch as unskilled labor is rated at this time at a very high wage, frequently at the rate of $6.00 per day, therefore it becomes necessary to find some means to clean used brick much more cheaply than is now possible.

The object of our invention is to provide a machine for the purpose of cleaning lime and cement mortar from used brick and so design the machine that it will not crush or break a large percentage of brick in the act of cleaning them; a further object of our invention is to provide a machine which will eiliciently clean used brick at a minimum cost; a further object of our invention is to have this machine of a construction which will be portable and stand the rough usage which machines of this character are usually subjected to; and with these and other objects in view our invention consists of the parts, and combination of parts as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of our improved brick cleaning machine.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed side elevation of a portion of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the base and cleaning knives mounted thereon.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 44 Fig. 3.

Figs. 5 and 6 are detailed perspective views of the cleaning knives.

The reference numeral 1 designates a plat- Y form of suitable construction built to withstand the pressure to which it is subjected in use, said platform being mounted upon suitable wheels 2.

On the platform 1 we secure by means of bolts 3 a cutting block 1 which is provided with a passageway 5 extending vertically through and open at ea h end. 1

The upper portions of the faces of the side walls of the cutting block a are formed on an angle as at 6 and are provided with screw fitted openings adapted to receive the jam screws 7 which screws are adapted to hold the knives in block.

The cutting knives 8 and 9 are composed of flat plates of suitably tempered steel and are provided at the upper ends with the bev eled cuttins edges 10 and when properly assembled and adjusted on the cutting block the cutting edges of the several knives are assembled as shown in Fig. 3 and constitute a throat through which the brick to be cleaned is forced, the cutting edges chipping and peeling the mortar from the surfaces of thebrick as the brick is forced through said throat. The knives 8 are provided with an elongated slot 11 in which the jam screws 7 are positioned whereby the knife may be adjusted relative to said screws, according to the desired width of the throat 5. The knives 9, being much wider, are provided with three elongated slots 12 in which the jam screws '4' are positioned, one of the slots being open at its lower end as clearly shown in the several. figures of the drawings.

13 represents the brick to be cleaned.

Standards 14 are secured to the platform 1 and connected at the upper ends by means of a cross-head 15 to which cross-head is suitably secured the cylinder 16 within which isarranged a piston and piston rod 17 which piston rod functions as a plunger in this machine. To the lower end of the cylinder 16 are secured a series of brace rods 18, the lower ends of which rods are securely fastened to the platform 1 whereby the cylinder is maintained rigid against vibration when the machine is in use. These brace rods 18 are provided with any suitable form of tension device such as the turnbuckle 19.

Pipes 20 and 21 are connected respectively to the top and bottom of the cylinder 16 with which they are in open communication. These pipes are connected through suitable connections to the pipe 22 in which is secured a multiple way valve 23 which is in communication with the power supply pipe 24. 25 is the operating handle for the valve 23 and 26 is the exhaust pipe which may be provided with a suitable valve 27; the pipe 22 being provided. with a pet-cock 28.

position on the cutting I In the operation of the machine an uncleaned used brick is placed in position on the cutting block as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The valve 23 is manipulated to admit compressed air or steam or other fluid power into the pipe 22 from whence it flows into the pipe and thence into the cylinder 16 7' brick. The pressure of the plunger upon the end of the brickis sufficient 'to clean that end of the brick of the mortar. The valve 23 is again operated and pressure ad mitted to return the plunger to its normal position and the operations just related are repeated as each brick is placed on the cut ting block.

This machine has been and is now'in successful operation and successfully and satisfactorily does the work of a large force of men at a minimum cost.

Changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the scope of the appended claims. 1 What we claim is: V 1. In a brick cleaning machine, the combination with a cutting block having a broad base, a brick passage through said 2. In a brick cleaning machine, a portable base, a frame mounted on said base, a cylinder and piston mounted on said frame provided'with a plunger, an inlet and outlet for said cylinder, a multiple way valve controlling the inlet and outlet, said inlet being suitably connected to a source of pressure, a cutting block mounted on the portable base and provided with a brick assage way therethrough, the outer faces of the block being inclined inwardly toward the upper end of the block, cutting blades adjustably mounted on said inclined faces of the block and constituting the throat to said passageway and centered below the plunger of the piston whereby a brick may be forced between-said blades and have four sides thereof cleaned.

In testimony whereof we aiiiX our signatures. V

- JOSEPH COLLINS.

V MARKUS L. ASKEW. 

